Brakspear Bitter (Bottle)

[Cask at Charlie’s Bar, Copenhagen] A hazy orange beer with an OK off-white head. The aroma is weak, but what is there is flowery. The flavor is sweet flowery and very bitter, but the body is thin. A nice bitter, but a bit thin for my taste.

(Bottle 66 cl) Beautiful, clear amber golden with a small, off-white head. Nutty aroma. Light body, notes of burned caramel and nuts. Rather hoppy finish. A very straightforward and balanced Bitter. 040307

Bottled. Amber colour, clear, rich head. Inviting honeyish flowery hop aroma. Dry with very light body and a wealth of aromatic resiny hops. Crisp mouthfeel. Despite it’s very low gravity it doesn’t feel thin. Medium bitterness. Pretty much the best beer you can get in Swedish supermarkets as beers above 3.5% aren’t sold there.

50 cL bottle, thanks to Papsoe. Pours orange and with a diminished white head. Mild malty aroma. Flavour holds a dry malty malt flavour is a dry bitterness. Ends with a nice breadish note. Decent yet not thrilling.

Bottled. Very dark amber colour, big beige head. Aroma is hops and caramel. Also lots of skunkyness. Flavour is skunked hops, grass and very earthy. Long grassy aftertaste. Not too exciting...

Bottle. Clear amber coloured with a white head. Aroma of fruits, caramel, spices and liquorice. Flavour of fruits, caramel and hops.

Well, it’s hard to dispute the quality of this beer - huge hops (38 IBUs is a ton for an ordinary) built upon a solid but unobtrusive malt foundation. The problem is, all the hops are Goldings. I’ve had just about enough of this vile weed. If this beer were made with Northdowns or Fuggles, I’d be all over it. (If you can tolerate Goldings, add a good .5 to my score for my impression of the beer’s quality.

Good balance between hops and malts. Soft bitter body, mild with greater bitterness in the aftertaste. Very pleasant lighter bitter.